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Seòmar agus comataidhean

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 22 December 2024
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Displaying 1019 contributions

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Criminal Justice Committee, Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, and Social Justice and Social Security Committee (Joint Meeting)

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

Meeting date: 1 May 2024

Dr. Sandesh Gulhane

This will be my last question, convener. We all talk about drug deaths, but illicit drug consumption has significant health harms; even if you were to take a drug just once, you could have experience of a significant health harm. So far, all of our questions to the panel have focused on everything else apart from rehab, which is why I am focusing on that now. What people have told me about it is clear. Dr Fletcher, do you think that we should be spending more money on rehab, given the amount of cuts that are coming from the Glasgow HSCP and given that half of ADPs have reported insufficient funds for residential rehab?

Criminal Justice Committee, Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, and Social Justice and Social Security Committee (Joint Meeting)

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

Meeting date: 1 May 2024

Dr. Sandesh Gulhane

Can you and your department audit exactly where the funding that you are putting in place is being spent? I raise the issue because Glasgow’s HSCP is going to have significant cuts in rehab and services for children living with drug users.

Criminal Justice Committee, Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, and Social Justice and Social Security Committee (Joint Meeting)

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

Meeting date: 1 May 2024

Dr. Sandesh Gulhane

My question was, are you able to audit to see exactly where that money is being spent and how the ADPs have increased their spend to the tune of what you are giving them?

Criminal Justice Committee, Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, and Social Justice and Social Security Committee (Joint Meeting)

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

Meeting date: 1 May 2024

Dr. Sandesh Gulhane

Thank you. My final question is for Dr Priyadarshi. Given that Glasgow has a very diverse community, do you have policies in place to help people from minority ethnic backgrounds who have issues with substance misuse? You might not have time to give me a full answer, but perhaps you could respond in writing.

Criminal Justice Committee, Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, and Social Justice and Social Security Committee (Joint Meeting)

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

Meeting date: 1 May 2024

Dr. Sandesh Gulhane

Sorry, Justina. I will put the question to you. Two thirds of ADPs report insufficient funds to implement the MAT standards and half report insufficient funds for residential rehab. Glasgow’s health and social care partnership has made significant cuts in rehab and in services for children who live with drug users. That is stark and very worrying.

Criminal Justice Committee, Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, and Social Justice and Social Security Committee (Joint Meeting)

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

Meeting date: 1 May 2024

Dr. Sandesh Gulhane

I declare an interest as a practising NHS GP.

Minister, I am so glad to hear that you support recovery and, eventually, rehab for those who want it and are asking for it. Do you agree with Justina Murray from the previous panel, who said that rehab is actually damaging the implementation of reducing drug harm?

Criminal Justice Committee, Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, and Social Justice and Social Security Committee (Joint Meeting)

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

Meeting date: 1 May 2024

Dr. Sandesh Gulhane

Do you agree with Justina Murray from the previous panel, who said that rehab is actually damaging the implementation of reducing drug harm?

Criminal Justice Committee, Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, and Social Justice and Social Security Committee (Joint Meeting)

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

Meeting date: 1 May 2024

Dr. Sandesh Gulhane

More money going into the third sector would be a good way of doing that.

Criminal Justice Committee, Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, and Social Justice and Social Security Committee (Joint Meeting)

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

Meeting date: 1 May 2024

Dr. Sandesh Gulhane

That is something that I would firmly support.

I turn to you, Dr Fletcher. With that stark outlook, how will we improve rehabilitation services?

Criminal Justice Committee, Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, and Social Justice and Social Security Committee (Joint Meeting)

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

Meeting date: 1 May 2024

Dr. Sandesh Gulhane

Absolutely. Choice is important for those who seek help and it is important that they get the help that they ask for.

Like you, I have visited and spoken to people at Rainbow house in Glasgow, which offers peer support in a residential rehab setting. It is an innovative rehab programme, and it was one of the first to be set up. It involves peer support, but it goes out into the community. The peer-support volunteers at Rainbow house cannot speak highly enough of what they can do to help others. However, both of the establishments that we have mentioned are extremely concerned about their funding. Do we have enough money going into rehab?